Wreck ‘n’ rule
Went to see Wreck-It Ralph over the weekend and would obviously heartily recommend it. Now I don’t pretend I know a lot about gaming in general and I’m not old enough to have been around since its earlier days, but there were still enough game references for me to spot and appreciate.

And that’s not to mention the general gaming culture and wider culture references too. Rather than detract though they really enhanced the solid plot and story which could stand in its own right. I think they achieved the balance of basing the whole fictional Wreck-It Ralph franchise within the reality of games culture admirably.

The best thing though, is that it has hopefully shown there’s definitely a demand and place for games and gaming culture to be explored in film and that it can be done right. A sequel has been hinted at I think and I would definitely like a return to Game Central Station.Longbow1

Fight me!
I picked up Anarchy Reigns at the bargain price that was mentioned in the Inbox last week (I don’t remember who mentioned it but you have my gratitude).

What a fantastic game! It’s ridiculously good fun and I’m really enjoying it however the game seems to be dead online. I can rarely can get a game of anything other than 1-on-1 cage matches which is hardly the most chaotic of modes and have yet to get a game of battle royale with anything other than ‘bots.

As I’ve just started playing, I’m currently fist/foot/flying car fodder and need more practice. Could you advise on the game types with more available players and what type of game modes are better for someone starting out?

If any GCers fancy opening a can of anarchic whoopass on me, drop me a friend request or invite!Jell0biafra (gamertag)

GC: Your best bet may be in organising a game with some fellow readers, we’re sure they’ll be happy to get in contact via your gamertag.

Family entertainment
It’s my daughter’s eighth birthday this month and I am considering getting her Ni No Kuni as a gift because we both love watching Studio Ghibli films such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro. However, the 12 certificate is putting me off a little. The complexity of the game mechanics is not a concern as it is my intention that we play the game together but I’m not sure whether or not the story may be a bit too upsetting or scary for her at times.

I have watched a play through of the first hour to get a feel for the emotional impact of the early stages and I am confident that I could alleviate any distress or anxiety she may experience based on what I have seen so far.

Anyway, could GC or any of its mighty fine readership who have played a significant portion of the game please let me know if they think the story is appropriate for an eight-year-old. Thanks in advance.PACE UK (gamertag)/PACE_UK (PSN ID)

GC: If she’s okay with the films she should be fine with the game. There’s an upsetting moment early on that might be distressing, but as far as we’re concerned it’s well below the emotional trauma of something like Bambi. Good on you for asking though, we wish all parents were as cautious with the age rating.

Who’s a pretty boy then?
Bit late to the Far Cry 3 party I know (I blame my 8 week old son. He’ll be forgiven when I get to beat him on Mario Kart 26…), but I’ve been enjoying the 15 minutes or so I get to play it at a time and can’t help thinking how good the sequel on next generation consoles can be.

First of all am I the only one to think the current gen is panting and wheezing a bit with this game? Yeah it looks lovely an’ all, but I find it a bit jerky in motion, so clearly that’s the first thing the next gen can sort out.

Secondly, I want more animals. Tons of the things. I want birds landing on people’s heads as I zoom in on them with my sniper rifle, I want hundreds of big fat insects under my feet and in the air around me, and I want talking parrots. And I actually want them to repeat what I say to them using Kinect 2 or something.

This last feature could be a great tool in your arsenal. You could have a trained parrot that sits on your shoulder the while time which you could teach to say something, then send it off in the bushes near some guards and they’ll go towards it to see who’s there. Meanwhile you’ve entered the building, rescued your posh mate and legged it out of there with a triggered explosive waiting for then when they return. Lovely.

Lastly, like someone else who wrote in recently (can’t remember who they were – sorry) I want Fallout 3 or Skyrim style level progression and unique weapon discovery. Oh yeah and dinosaurs. Big bloody dinosaurs. And sod the hang-glider, I want to hang from the legs of a pterodactyl that I’ve grapple hooked onto. That is all.Wriggy74 (gamertag)

Creating a rival
While I can understand third parties being wary of investing lots of money on developing big titles for Nintendo hardware, given the frequently paltry returns, I also think that starving Nintendo machines of their best offerings risks shooting themselves in the foot.

OK, so the likes of Grand Theft Auto (which has yet to be tested on a Ninty home console) and Call Of Duty might not sell anywhere near the numbers they do on the other machines, but without those games gamers might ignore Nintendo’s machines completely, perhaps leading to Nintendo deciding to become a third party developer/publisher (like Sega did). Surely this would be a terrible result for the likes of Ubisoft and Activision, with hugely popular Nintendo games eating into their sales?Declan

Another trick missed
Someone mentioned the advert for Aliens: Colonial Marines. I saw it the other day, nothing of the Wii U controller was shown. Worst of all at the end of the advert all you saw were the game boxes for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There was an icon for the Wii U but that was tiny. Nintendo have no idea about marketing or promotion, it really is laughable how badly they botched this up when it should be their console in the limelight.Alek Kazam

GC: The game is out today on other formats and we still have no idea when the Wii U version is being released. We’ve certainly never seen or played it.

30+ minutes
I’ve just been given four Wii games: FIFA 13, Pro Evolution Soccer 13, Okami, and Sam & Max: Season 1. I haven’t played on the Wii for a few months so I decided to give it a blast, thinking it would be back in its box within half hour or so.

How wrong I was, the two football games while not as graphically good as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions really are two very good games. It’s understandable that they don’t have the same array of game options as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 but what these Wii games do they do it very well. And graphically they were more on par with PlayStation 2 or GameCube. I admit I was using my Classic Controller and not the Wiimote though, which made things so much easier.

Now onto Okami, what more can be said about Okami that hasn’t already been said, a much underestimated game. Brilliant and by using the Wiimote and nunchuck i found it very easy to play. I was expecting the Wiimote and nunchuck to hamper any enjoyment playing Okami again. How wrong I was. Even my other half is hooked playing Okami, her being someone who really dislikes using the Wiimote and nunchuck.

Superb, now Sam & Max, what a funny game! Again, I presume a very underestimated game, I personally hadn’t given this title a second look and to be honest where I live it’s not a game that’s seen much on the shelves of our local game shops. CEX actually sell this title for £3, which if you are lucky enough that they have it in stock is an absolute steal.

You know, the Wii may well now be more or less (according to my local game stores) dead and buried but I really don’t care. I’m now on a quest to try and obtain all the top-rated games the Wii has had to offer. So I’m going to be scouring car boot sales, charity shops, game outlets, etc. to obtain these so any suggestions from GC and GC readers as to what you/they would recommend would be much appreciated. I have the two Zeldas, Mario, Zack & Wiki, and Wii Sports games. So other than these titles the more suggestions the better. Many thanks.shiltsypantsNo2

GC: We’ll leave most of this up to the readers but we’re not sure how inclusive your mention of ‘Mario’ is meant to be. If it doesn’t include Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 then we’d suggest starting there. And in case no one else mentions it Sin & Punishment: Successor Of The Skies.

Wait and see
People need to calm down about the next gen rumours, at this point in time they’re just that! There is no point getting yourself all flustered over a rumour which is likely started by a magazine or E-zine wanting to sell copies or gain more hits.

The rumours regarding the second-hand game market have been going on for a while and I cannot see this happening as 1. They will lose a huge market share and 2. If either Sony or Microsoft make this decision without the other’s consent then it will be the death of either console.

Also, regarding the rumours of the always online connection, there is a figure which reads along the lines of two-thirds of all 360s bought have not been connected to Xbox Live. Now it does not take a business major to work out that alienating two-thirds of your userbase is a huge mistake.

The simple fact is that no-one knows what surprises will be announced once both consoles are announced but neither company is likely to announce something as controversial as no second-hand games or an online always required console when they’re both fighting for early sales… if this is to happen it will likely be phased in rather than punching you in the face with it before you have even pulled your wallet out.

I don’t think I have ever read so many negative opinions prior to launch of a new console, personally I am ecstatic and cannot wait for the official announcements. If these things are announced then I will quite frankly be very shocked and I think it will likely be the end of consoles.Foetus

Little brother is not watching
RE: PjDonnelli on privacy and advertising. The problem with companies collecting information about users and usage is that the user doesn’t tend to be given the choice to opt in or out at the start of the process, or at all in some cases. Even when they can, the companies may not listen – just look at Google bypassing Apple users’ privacy settings a while back.

It isn’t a matter of them striving to improve their customer service: these companies make a fortune from selling or otherwise exploiting our data and all we get is bombarded with more adverts to boost their bottom line. Another problem isn’t that we do or don’t get tailored adverts, but that we get any at all considering, in terms of gaming, we pay £30 to £50 per game to begin with plus subscriptions to Xbox Live, etc.

And then there’s the whole issue of data security or the lack thereof and how nefarious individuals can use illegally obtained information, e.g. Sony being hacked, that whole EA/Xbox Live thing, government departments simply misplacing unencrypted laptops, etc…FoximusPrime81 (gamertag/Twitter)

Crazy idea
I’ve got a good idea to prevent used game sales: publishers encouraging the creation of quality, value for money games that people won’t want to sell.

If these rumours are true, I can only hope people have the willpower to not buy next gen consoles if they do have technology to stop the used game market, though it’s not looking hopeful. I said the same thing when downloadable content started appearing…JLB1987

Tech demo
LTRFTW. It seems staggering that whilst everyone is up in arms about Ubisoft’s decision to delay an already-finished Rayman Legends on Wii U, with no-one mentioning the irony that there is a little bit of karma aimed at Nintendo, as they did the same with Zelda: Twilight Princess on GameCube, to release it alongside the Wii. It’s a fact of life games get delayed for political reasons – some mentioning Microsoft’s game policy.

In regards to the game itself, what happened to the NFC feature and the associated figures? If it’s still in the game how will it work on the other home consoles without a PSP/PS Vita or SmartGlass?Chocobogamer

GC: The footage in which the NFC features and toys were shown was just a concept video for the Wii U in general, they were never a part of Rayman Legends itself. Although the other console versions will still miss out on all the motion control and touchscreen stuff with Murphy.

Inbox also-rans
Whilst I was searching online I came across this. If this materialises there will be some happy video gamers.Ste C

Not totally on-topic but I adore Baba Yetu, the theme for Civilization IV which won a Grammy back in 2011 for Christopher Tin. Superbly fitting for a game spanning ancient to modern eras, it begins almost a cappella before adding drums, choir and finally orchestra. Listen to it here as you watch the sun rise over the waiting Earth.eagleye30

This week’s Hot Topic
It’s Valentine’s Day this week, so for this weekend’s Hot Topic we want to know what you think are the most convincing love stories in video games – and the most eligible romantic partners.

A romantic subplot is not something most people buy a video game for and yet most games with a story do have some sort of relationship angle, so we want to know which you’ve found the most convincing – and which the most absurd and silly.

Do you think video games focus enough on the romantic relationships of its characters or do you feel there’s already too much of that sort of thing? If you were able to take a video games character out for a romantic evening which one would you choose, and what do you think you’d have to do to win them over?